Someone's cut my earth cable!

[chrisaw]

Noticed this morning that someone's tried to nick the earth cable that comes out of our main junction box and wraps around the outside of our house to the earthing point at the back!

So presumably this means that our mains electricity supply is no longer earthed?

There is an exposed stump of wire were they've cut it off. IS THIS LIVE??? This is my main worry at the moment as it is only about one foot off the ground and very close to the side entrance to our house. Just right for a curious two or five year old to grab a hold of, or for someone to brush against accidentally as they use the entrance.

I'm assuming it's not a major (or expensive) job to get it replaced, and that I have to get an electrician to do it?

 

[ricicle]

Is this earth wire going to a rod in the ground or to a service pipe ?
Either way it is a serious problem which needs to be rectified asap. I suggest you seek the services of a competant Electrician. You may be able to claim on your house insurance ?

 

[OwainDIYer]

It won't be live unless something is seriously wrong with your installation.

But if something did go seriously wrong with your installation then the house end may be live (and so could a lot of other things)

If it's vulnerable get it replaced with armoured cable or steel conduit.

 

[JohnD]

it should not be live, but there is usually a small voltage on it, and in the event of an electrical fault, yes, it can carry mains voltage.

is it about a quarter of an inch thick? some lowlife scum has probably stolen it because it is copper. I wouldn't put a new one back in the same place or they will steal it again. Preferably it can be run indoors, or if it has to go on the outside of the house, you could run it up high out of reach, or buried.

please work out where the other end goes. I have a feeling it may be to the incoming gas or water pipe. If it is a metal spike in the ground you could probablt bury one adjacent to where it comes through the wall, so not much to steal.

It does not have to be done by an electrician, this is one of the jobs you are allowed to do yourself.

Do you have an RCD on your consumer unit? If you post some photos of the two ends of the cable, showing where they go, and also of te consumer unit, meter, incoming supply and the cables around and between them this will enable us to advise better.

A close-up of the cut cable lying across a ruler to show scale and size please.

http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=129539

p.s. good idea about the insurance.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It does not have to be done by an electrician, this is one of the jobs you are allowed to do yourself.

Yes, but unless done by someone with the equipment and tools to test it, which in practice means an electrician, he won't know if it works properly. Since proper working is a vital safety matter just banging in a rod and hoping it's OK is a pretty stupid idea.

 

[securespark]

It may not be a MEC, it could be PEB, which is easier to test to ensure compliance.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Yes - I was referring to John's comment about being allowed to install your own earth rod.

 

[JohnD]

please work out where the other end goes. I have a feeling it may be to the incoming gas or water pipe.

If you post some photos of the two ends of the cable, showing where they go, and also of te consumer unit, meter, incoming supply and the cables around and between them this will enable us to advise better.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If it is a metal spike in the ground you could probablt bury one adjacent to where it comes through the wall, so not much to steal.

It does not have to be done by an electrician, this is one of the jobs you are allowed to do yourself.

 

[ColJack]

thieving gits, stick another one out there and make it live.. that'll teach em..

saying that, my brother and I got asked to quote for a repair about 10 years ago at a now privately owned, rather large nuclear fallout bunker ( drakelow.. ) where someone had gotten in and nicked several meters of large mains cable and several meters of cable from the backup generators..
the mains cables were still live... idiots..